The brand's modular composition, a single block with toilet and bidet, promoting gender equality

The revolution in the bathroom starts from Abaco, a container of experience, personal and professional, technology and innovation. This is the fil-rouge that runs through the entire life of Natalino Malasorti, founder and art-director of Ceadesign, futuristic designer, custodian of knowledge and advocate of constant research in the bathroom world. Abaco is a modular system, simple and linear, which conceals the sanitary functions and plant engineering technology within a single volume, adaptable to any room in the house. The sanitary toilet, an Industrial Invention Patent by Malasorti himself, integrates the functions of flushing, washing and bidet. The toilet module promotes gender equality in the use of toilets where men and women sit regardless of gender. The monolithic composition has a plinth with floor lighting as a courtesy light, and along the entire back of the volume, so as to illuminate the wall on which it rests. We talked about Abaco with its inventor and designer.

Abaco has been described as 'futuristic', which is always an ambiguous adjective: on the one hand it sounds like a compliment, on the other hand it seems to prelude a tomorrow that may never come. How did you work to create an innovative system that, at the same time, would find favour with the public?

"I have been working in this field for 40 years, first as a plumbing designer, then as an interpreter and realiser of tailor-made bathrooms alongside architects and interior designers. For almost 20 years I have transferred this experience to the world of sanitary fittings, trying to combine design, technology and innovation in the best possible way. How to definitively solve the issue of bathroom design as a space where beauty is balanced with functionality has always been my worry. To include sanitary ware within a harmonious, single-material, clean, essential and above all functional composition: this is what I set out to achieve with Abaco. A futuristic project aimed at becoming the evolution and at the same time the revolution of the bathroom: a container of experience, technology and innovation. Abaco is a modular system, simple and linear, which puts things in order and reorganises functions and plant technology within a single volume, furnishing the bathroom with every single function: washing, toileting, storage. I have to say that I did not expect all the success this product had when it was presented. Today it is already in great demand all over the world. It seems that Abaco has encountered no cultural limits: Italy, a futuristic country with a vocation for design, despite the bidet's tradition, is among the countries that are most in demand and I can only be proud and honoured".

On the subject of the integrated toilet-bidet system: it is one of those solutions that, as yet, does not quite catch on. Why should Abaco succeed where others have failed?

"I consider Abaco to be a step forward compared to existing toilet-bidet designs: a product that combines the plant engineering part with the functional part. Nobody has ever gone this far. Integrating the plumbing and electrical part with flushing and drainage within a single system is an absolute novelty, an attraction for many architects and interior designers. Many call it 'the dream in every architect's drawer', but while thinking about its aesthetics may seem simple, developing its operation has been very complicated. Almost ten years have passed since I started working on this project: it has grown piece by piece together with the technology at my disposal. Today the product is fully functional, with a result above my expectations. The toilet module has been awarded three Industrial Invention Patents, one Utility Model and one Ornamental Model. In addition to responding to planning and design requirements by combining aesthetics and functionality, the toilet module increases comfort thanks to its particularly ergonomic seat and heated seat, it guarantees hygiene and ease of cleaning because it is made entirely of stainless steel, and the courtesy lights, which can be activated by a presence sensor, allow it to be used even at night.

Gender equality and design: how did you work in this direction?

"It has only been a few decades since men and women have been using the toilet differently: the modern world invented an additional, removable seat to address the conflict between the two sexes that often fell on the misconception of ensuring better hygiene. Abaco does away with the removable seat to ensure maximum hygiene and ease of cleaning, and supports and promotes equal use of the toilet, whereby men and women sit regardless of their gender. Medical studies show that the sitting position has only advantages. The muscular action of sitting urination allows the bladder to empty completely and allows the pelvic muscles to relax. In addition to the physical aspects, which are undoubtedly the most important, especially for preventing prostate disorders and inflammation, it should be emphasised that the sitting position prevents urine from leaking out of the toilet bowl, ensuring complete hygiene of the surfaces and the bathroom environment.

Sustainability and waste: what are Abaco's specificities?

We design and manufacture our products through the exclusive use of stainless steel, a pure, faithful and responsible material, the prince of environmental sustainability values because it is ecological, highly hygienic and totally recyclable. Furthermore, our entire production process is entirely sustainable, and for us this has always been the case; we were born with the desire to never disregard this principle. Therefore Abaco, like all Cea products, is entirely made of stainless steel, to guarantee hygiene and mechanical resistance. Furthermore, the water drainage system guarantees water saving within the limits of 4L (full drainage) and 2L (eco drainage)".